Wednesday, November 07, 2012

Norway suspends aid money to Uganda

Norway has suspended aid
to Uganda
after an audit found that 13 million dollars had been embezzled. Three other
European countries previously ended aid to Uganda over similar theft. Uganda
says that they have fired 12 government officials who are suspected of taking
the money.

The growing scandal adds to concerns about corruption under President
Yoweri Museveri, accused by his critics of creating a culture of
impunity for cronies who steal public money but are loyal to his party,
the National Resistance Movement (NRM).

Norway joined Britain, Ireland and Denmark in suspending aid after
Uganda's auditor general last month exposed the theft of funds meant for
reconstruction in two impoverished regions. It implicated officials in
the prime minister's office.

"Norway has suspended any disbursements to Uganda government
institutions until further clarification has been provided," Ambassador
Thorbjorn Gaustadsather told Reuters, saying Norway's total aid to
Uganda amounts to about $70 million a year.

Uganda's information minister, Mary Karoro, said the government was
determined to punish all officials involved in embezzling the money that
was meant to fund recovery efforts in northern areas after an
insurgency by the Lord's Resistance Army in the 1990s and early 2000s.